A Gene by Any Other Name

Our plea to the Human Genome Organisation to retain the clever names given to genes -- such as "Sonic Hedgehog" and "Cheap Date."

I BEG MY READERS' HELP. Your letters have shown me that you're far more informed and sophisticated than I, with your backgrounds in medicine, law and engineering. So please help me answer this urgent investing question: Which profession gives the best nicknames?

This question has troubled my sleep since I read reports that the Human Genome Organisation (www.hugo-international.org) in London is trying to find polite names for genes whose discoverers had called them something more whimsical. Names like "sonic...